UCI Forward

UCI Forward is our commitment to the well-being of our community as we ramp up campus operations. Working together, each of us doing our part, we can move UCI Forward.

May 20 - Updates on COVID-19

Section 1

grad housing ice cream truck

More than 600 grad students and family housing residents enjoyed popsicles and other frozen treats last week at an ice cream social sponsored by Graduate and Family Housing. It was the first in-person event in over a year. 

TODAY’S CAMPUS UPDATES

Town Hall recap

If you missed Wednesday’s Town Hall with Chancellor Gillman, a video replay is available. Here are a few nuggets from the Q&A:

  • Faculty and non-represented staff who were on the payroll as of Jan. 1 will receive 3% raises (regardless of performance) effective June 27 or July 1 (Oct. 1 for faculty). More details on the staff raise can be found in today’s Zotmail from Associate Chancellor Ramona Agrela.

  • The daily symptom check will continue into the foreseeable future.

  • Flexible parking permit plans are being developed to accommodate hybrid work schedules.

  • A system for uploading employee vaccination cards is in the works and could be ready in a few weeks.

No new campus cases*

No student residents or on-campus employees tested positive for COVID-19 on Wednesday. For more information, visit the UCI COVID-19 dashboard.

GENERAL COVID-19 NEWS

This section curates noteworthy coronavirus news, trends and opinions. No endorsement by UCI is implied. Note: Some news sites require subscriptions to read articles. The UCI Libraries offer free subscriptions to The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, OC Register and Washington Post for students, faculty and staff.

Vaccination rates in California, US

Two-thirds of California adults are now at least partially vaccinated for COVID-19. Nationwide, the figure is 56.8% for people aged 12 and older, and 47.9% of the total population.

US extends border closures with Mexico, Canada

The U.S. is extending restrictions on non-essential travel at land borders with Canada and Mexico through June 21, the Department of Homeland Security announced. The restrictions had been set to expire Friday.

US unemployment claims hit pandemic low

The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid fell last week to 444,000, a new pandemic low and a sign that the job market keeps strengthening.

HOPE, INSPIRATION, LAUGHTER

Amid the heartbreaking loss of life and economic hardship wrought by the coronavirus, we recognize the need for stories of kindness, hope, courage and humor.

‘Painless Pete’ tells jokes while giving shots

The retired nurse disarms nervous patients by cracking them up. If someone is afraid of needles, he tells them they can close their eyes, then adds, “I close mine too.” Or he offers compliments, telling people they should become a shoulder model. His signature line: “My name is Painless Pete, and I don’t feel a thing!”

#UCIconnected

If you have a shoutout, or if you’d like to share what you’ve been up to during the pandemic, send photos and/or words about your COVID-19 vaccination, activities, workstation, volunteering, etc., to marketing@uci.edu or post on social media with the #UCIconnected hashtag.

EXPOSURE NOTIFICATION

* Potential workplace exposure: UCI provides this notification of a potential workplace COVID-19 exposure. Employees and subcontractors who were in these locations on the dates listed may have been exposed to the coronavirus. You may be entitled to various benefits under applicable federal and state laws and University-specific policies and agreements. The full notification is available on the UCI Forward site. If you have been identified as a close contact to a COVID-19 case, the UCI Contact Tracing Program will contact you and provide additional direction.